Sailboard Mast

[Lakesailor]

Could I direct you to my Wanted Ad in that forum?

I'm trying to mount a Laser sail on my trimaran and don't want to use a Laser mast as they break anyway with a boat that heels, so will definitely break on a stable trimaran.

 

[flaming]

I would think that a sailboard mast would be too flexible and you'll never get a good shape, don't forget that sail makers have designed the sail for a known flex on a dinghy mast and a known pre-bend on a yacht mast.


And the fact that a laser is a monohul is actually irrelevant as any good laser sailor will be sailing it flat. Old laser masts won't be too expensive, i'd fit one of those first and see what happens, my fiver says it'll still be standing in a year's time.

 

[Twister_Ken]

If Laser masts broke when the boat heeled they'd have redesigned them. The Laser didn't get to be one of the biggest selling boats of all time by being fragile.

 

[Lakesailor]

I was reading a Laser forum in which a copule of the forumites said that they'd broken more than one top and bottom section in a season. One guy reckoned he only got 5 events from a top mast.
They also said that the earlier (white band) masts were thicker-walled.

Now this doesn't matter to me. I've decided that I'll make a flexible top mast for my Topper bottom mast and try that. That way I'll get the give I need. The fact that a Laser is sailed flat doesn't mean that it doesn't have the ability to spill wind by heeling in a gust. All I can do is break a mast/mast step/float beam mount. I'd prefer to have a flexible top section to spill the wind. At the moment with the small sail my topmast is a piece of plastic drain pipe which does the job well, but won't hold up to the doubling of sail size from the Laser sail. If the mast and sail combination doesn't work I may alter the sail to suit.
It's just a bit of fun and I enjoy messing.

 

[Slinky Spring]

The laser hull supprorts the bottom 15 inches of the mast. I assume you do not have that luxury on your tri.
Laser masts are not cheap for what they are. About £250. They are basically okay to use(unless you are a very serious racer) or broken so not many second hand ones available.
Regarding sail shape, have you considered using an entire windsurfing rig.

 

[Lakesailor]

I thought about the full rig, but I do have a decent mast step and would have trouble making it all fit in.

Ignoring the chair

 

[maxi77]

[ QUOTE ]
I was reading a Laser forum in which a copule of the forumites said that they'd broken more than one top and bottom section in a season. One guy reckoned he only got 5 events from a top mast.
They also said that the earlier (white band) masts were thicker-walled.

Now this doesn't matter to me. I've decided that I'll make a flexible top mast for my Topper bottom mast and try that. That way I'll get the give I need. The fact that a Laser is sailed flat doesn't mean that it doesn't have the ability to spill wind by heeling in a gust. All I can do is break a mast/mast step/float beam mount. I'd prefer to have a flexible top section to spill the wind. At the moment with the small sail my topmast is a piece of plastic drain pipe which does the job well, but won't hold up to the doubling of sail size from the Laser sail. If the mast and sail combination doesn't work I may alter the sail to suit.
It's just a bit of fun and I enjoy messing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have raced lasers for over 20 years, and have only broken a mast three times, the first was an old mast with corrosion at the goose neck, the other two were from capsises on hairy runs where the mast took the full force of stopping the boat. Laser masts properly cared for are pretty tough. If you want something cheaper though a bit more flimsy go for a Topper mast.

 

[Lakesailor]

[ QUOTE ]
The fact that a Laser is sailed flat doesn't mean that it doesn't have the ability to spill wind by heeling in a gust. All I can do is break a mast/mast step/float beam mount. I'd prefer to have a flexible top section to spill the wind. At the moment with the small sail my topmast is a piece of plastic drain pipe which does the job well, but won't hold up to the doubling of sail size from the Laser sail.

[/ QUOTE ] I think you're all missing the point that I want a flexible top mast. All the forces will be concentrated at the top of the mast socket unless I actively supply some flexibilty.

 

[Twister_Ken]

That maybe sounds like sleeving a bit of sailboard mast into a bit of laser-ish mast.

 

[Lakesailor]

That is precisely what I'm planning. I use a Topper bottom section at present and the inside diameter is 46mm, which is why I need a sailboard mast with that outside diameter somewhere along it's tapered length with 3.2 metres of mast above it. OK The Topper bottom section doesn't have any bend in it, but we aren't talking about rocket science here. It'll drive the little tri very nicely, a Laser bottom section with a sailboard top section would be better, but that's not what I've got.

Anyway, the new sewing machine that Mrs Lakesailor bought could do with a challenge. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif